The cutting edge program for women’s entrepreneurship in science and technology, Achieving the Commercialization of Technology Ventures through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs (ACTiVATE), will be started at Texas State in October.

ACTiVATE trains experienced women in the fields of technology and business to license university technologies and launch companies. Experienced entrepreneurs will lead the competitive year long program.

ACTiVATE participants will receive instruction on entrepreneurship, business, mentoring and networking as well as gaining knowledge in regional resources. The program operates with the goal of combining the student’s business and technology management experience. Students will be engaged in regional support programs to successfully launch their companies. With partial funding with a grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, the program will showcase technology from Texas universities.

Terry Golding is the director of the Center for Research Commercialization which sponsors ACTiVATE alongside the Small Business Development Center and the McCoy College of Business. Golding said that the program is one element in Texas State’s goal of increasing entrepreneurship in technological industries for under-represented communities in the Austin-San Antonio Corridor.

The program is open to the public and men may apply but the particular focus of ACTiVATE is women.

“A focus on a program that serves women is a good compliment to our other efforts to increase representation from other under-represented groups in technology entrepreneurship,” Golding said. “We want to encourage participation from women in the fields of business and science.”

Originally initiated at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, ACTiVATE has been responsible for launching three to five companies per year within the last five years. The success of ACTiVATE in Maryland as well as local feedback from the community led Texas State to pursue the program.

“It has been successful there,” said Billy C. Covington, Texas State’s Associate Vice President for Research and Federal Relations. “Based on our initial feedback from individuals approached in our area, there appears to be considerable interest in the program.”

The program is recruiting for October and January classes. Individuals interested in participating in ACTiVate may call (512) 245-6038 or e-mail ACTiVATE@txstate.edu. More information is available at www.texstate.edu/ACTiVATE.